Zack in Love?
by thebadwitch13
Summary: Zack faces his worst problem yet...love? Will Cody get back together with Bailey? Or will Fate have something else in store?
1. Chapter 1

Note: I do not own anything. For educational purposes only.

"I didn't do it," the blonde teenager insisted innocently to his teacher, a puppy-dog plea in his green eyes.

"Yes, I know. For once, anyway. I called you here to discuss your grades. I'm afraid if you fail one more class, I will be forced to kick you out of Seven Sea High."

Emma paused, letting the cold hard fact sink into her student Zack Martin. If only he were more like his brother…

"Kicked out?" Zack breathed, shocked. He knew he didn't have the best grades, but…_that_ bad?

"Well...that is…seriously very not good. Is there anything I can do?" Zack pleaded. He couldn't get kicked out of Seven Sea High. He loved it here! The sun! The water! The girls!

"I'll do whatever it takes. And I mean _whatever_, Emma" the blonde insisted, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Zack Martin!"

"Sorry Miss. Tutwieller," Zack said quickly. Well, it had been worth the shot…

"Actually, yes. There is something you can do. I am willing to offer you a make-up project to replace your last test grade. And, if you get at least a B in all your classes from now on, you should be able to pass. I suggest trying to get someone to tutor you. Cody, perhaps?"

"I'll do it! I swear Miss Tutwieller, I'll get my grades up." Zack promised. This was once promise he could not afford to break. Now… how was he going to ask Cody to help him… he would deal with that later.

"Thank you Miss Tutwieller! I'll make you proud!" Zack proclaimed, grabbing his backpack and whizzing out the door. He had some planning to do.

"No." Cody Martin said shortly to his twin brother, as he folded towels furiously.

"I haven't even asked you anything!" Zack exclaimed. There was a hint of desperation in his voice that made Cody study him closer.

"Wait…you've done something_ really _bad, haven't you?" Cody said shrewdly.

"I…I'm failing," Zack whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one else was near.

"…and?" Cody prompted, a silent 'what else is new?' in his voice.

"No, no…I mean really failing. If I don't get my grades up and do a project, I'm gonna get kicked out!" Zack whispered quickly.

Cody immediately looked concerned. "Oh, man. That is bad! What do you need me for?"

" I really need you to help me on this project…and…to tutor me…" Zack trailed off, looking down at the floor nervously.

"Tutor you? Zack, Mom tried that years ago. We always ended up fighting, remember?" Cody folded another towel, frowning as he thought.

"I know. That would be the problem. So, I figured you could do the project and we could deal with the tutoring later" Zack finished quickly.

"Yeah, that sounds g- wait_, I_ do _your_ project? This is not a little paper you want me to do for you. Miss Tutwieller will be extra careful when she grades this. She'll know if I do it for you." Cody reasoned.

His explanation was undermined by three teenage boys throwing their towels at his face as he talked.

"I am a person too! You can _hand_ me the towels." Cody muttered under his breath, peeling the towels off his head.

"Well, what do you suggest? That I do my _own_ project? Now that is just crazy talk." Zack shook his head. This was not looking good.

Cody folded another towel. _Man, Zack's problems are way worse_ _than my problems with Bailey…_

"Bailey. Oh, my god. Bailey!" Cody exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with glee.

"Yes…Bailey. Your ex-girlfriend. What about her?" the shorter twin spoke slowly, as if Cody was a small child.

"Bailey could tutor you! Her grades are just as good as mine! And…you would be spending a lot of time with her…so, you could, I don't know…suggest to her…to givemeanotherchance…" Cody rushed, words twisting together in his excitement.

"Cody. Don't you think_ you_ should convince her to date you ? I mean, we are seventeen now and-"

"I'll do your project for you." Cody stated shortly.

"Better get some nice clothes, Cody! Because you are going to have a date with Bailey!" Zack promised with a flourish.

**Please review! What do you think Bailey will have to say about tutoring Zack? And will everything go according to plan?**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"No," the cute brunette said in a no-nonsense tone, standing in the open doorway of her dorm room, glaring at a certain twin.

"I have not even _said_ anything! Why is everyone jumping down my throat today?" Zack asked, throwing up his hands in exasperation. Following Cody orders, he came straight to Bailey's and London's room to execute Stage One of The Plan.

"And the answer is no, I will not lend you money. You, Zack Martin, still own me five dollars," Bailey stated, crossing her arms and leaning against the open door of her room.

"Bailey. Why do you assume that I came for money? Really, I'm hurt. I came to ask you for some advice," Zack said innocently, his green eyes wide.

"Oh. Well, then come on in. I'm sorry Zack, I should not have assumed you were here for money. But your track record was against you…," Bailey trailed off, motioning for Zack to enter her room. "Have a seat."

"Thanks, Bailey. I knew I could come to you for help," Zack sighed as he sat down on Bailey's bed, a look of pain on his face.

"Miss. Tutwieller talked to me today. I'm… god this is hard…. I'm…. failing", Zack dragged out, covering his face with his hands.

There was a pregnant pause.

"…and?" Bailey said with an expectant look on her face.

"What is wrong with you people? This is serious! I could get kick out! Sheesh, you think you know your friends," Zack honestly could not believe Bailey's reaction. He expected it from his brother, but _Bailey_ too?

"What? Kicked out! Oh my god! Zack! What are you going to do! You can't leave! It wouldn't be the same without you…" Bailey bit her lip, a worried look etched into her face. She started to pace.

"It...it wouldn't?" Zack asked, surprised.

"Of course not! What to do…what to do…" Bailey started hitting her forehead_. Think, think...Zack can't leave…think, Bailey, think!_

"Hey, hey! Stop that," Zack got up and grabbed Bailey's hand, preventing her from killing more brain cells. "We can't let that brain of yours get hurt, now can we?" Zack joked.

Bailey looked up, her brown eyes widening.

"My brain! Zack, you genius_! My brain_! I can help you pass, I could tutor you! I'm sure if you get your grades up, Miss. Tutwieller would let you stay at Seven Seas High," Bailey exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh, Bailey, I could never ask you to do that. It would be a bother, an-"

"It would not be a bother! Zack Martin, I will get you to pass Seven Seas High no matter _what_ it takes. I promise you." Bailey declared.

"I…I don't know what to say. Thank you Bailey. You just saved my life," Zack beamed at the brunette, enfolding her in a tight bear hug.

"Zack. You're. Suffocating. Me." Bailey wheezed out.

"Oh, sorry!" the blonde boy detangled himself from Bailey, still smiling. "I, ah, guess I don't know my own strength. Been working out…" Zack puffed out his chest a little.

"_Zack_," Bailey said, raising her eyebrows in warning.

"Sorry Bailey," the twin said quickly.

* * *

"Well? How did it go?" the mound of red towels asked in a strained voice as Zach stepped onto the Sky Deck. The towels shifted, moving until a blond head fought its way from the towel prison.

"Ah! Air! Sweet air!" Cody gasped as he dragged himself from the ever growing towel monster. "Ug, I hate my job, I hate my job…" the taller twin muttered as he stood up next to Zack.

"How did it go with Bailey?" Cody asked again, a hopefully look coming over his face.

"She agreed to tutor me," Zack said unceremoniously, fidgeting slightly.

"That's great! This may be out best agreement we've ever had. You get to stay on the ship, and I get to have Bailey back," Cody's eyes glimmered with glee.

"Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be great!" Zack smiled weakly. "Well, ah, I'm gonna go get really for some learnin' time!" the shorter twin said swiftly as he turned to leave.

And was stopped by his brother's hand on his shoulder.

_Shit._

"Zack, I just want to say thanks. For letting me have another chance with Bailey. It…it means a lot…,"Cody's smile was completely sincere.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

"Well, what are brothers for?" Zack smiled back a Cody, a heavy feeling in his chest. Still smiling, Zack walked back downstairs for his first tutoring session.

With the girl his brother was in love with.

As in, the girl who was completely off limits, Zack ordered him sternly.

No matter how pretty her eyes looked when she smiled….

**The plot thickens! Please read, review, make merry!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

_Note: Sorry for the slow update! School is really hindering my learning!_

The cabin door was shut tight. Dangerous. Deadly. The Door of Doom.

_Oh, for god's sake Zack Martin, it's just a door, _Zack mentally berated himself_._

The blond twin was currently standing it front of Bailey's door for his first tutoring session. But he was a bit preoccupied with nervously wringing his hands together. And pacing. And generally freaking out.

He was being ridiculous. All he had to do was knock on her door, she'd answer, and they would have a merry time with studying U.S History.

Because that was all this was. Just studying.

…right..?

Yes, yes. That was _all _it was.

Zack ran a hand through his hair, and then slapped himself across the face with a loud _smack_.

"Get your head in the game, man. Stop it. Stop it now," Zack ordered himself. The boy raised his hand in a fist, poised to knock-

"Zack, there you are! You're late, come on in. We have a lot of work to do," the brunet angel said as she burst opened her door, gesturing for Zack to enter her room

_Her eyes are sparking again_… _No, no! Bad Zack. Bad Zack!_ The blond yelled internally, at war with himself.

"Zack. Are you O.K? You're kind of…shaking," Bailey inquired politely, a curious look on her face. "You don't have to be nervous! Studying can be quick and painless if you do it right. Well, and if you have a good teacher!" the cowgirl said reassuringly. After all, she didn't want her pupil to feel uneasy…

"Where's London?" Zack inquired, changing the subject. He noted Bailey had made a make-shift teaching station in her room, complete with a white board in the center of the room. Somehow, he didn't think London would appreciate her room's new intellectual motif.

"Oh, she left on her chopper right after class today. Emergency hot-oil hair treatment." The farm girl explained, the slight smirk on her face giving away her thoughts on any 'hair emergency' that required an airlift. "She'll be back tomorrow morning, so it will be just the two of us!" Bailey said innocently.

"Oh. That's…great! Yay studying!" Zack said, smiling.

_Yay studying? Yay studying? Really, Zack, Really? Smooth, _Zack yelled at himself silently.

"Zack…are you sure you're OK? Your eye is…twitching…" Bailey trailed off, giving Zack a worried look.

_I've never seen him like this…he must be really nervous to study…_Bailey wondered silently_. Well, he does NOT have to be worried when I'm here!_

"Zack. Look at me." Bailey ordered softly, grabbing Zack's hand in hers.

"Look. I am here for you. Everyone is pulling for you. There is nothing that can happen here that will change our friendship. You mean too much to me for me to let you fail. O.K? So, Let's get studying, Zack-man", Bailey smiled, still holding Zack's hand tightly in hers.

"…Zack? Zack, are you O.K?"

Her hand was warm.

It was the only thing that mattered. Her hand was warm and his skin was on fire and she was talking and he should be listening but didn't her skin feel so goddamn soft and...

…he didn't feel so…well…

"ZACK!"

* * *

…the light was warm. And something was brushing his face. And… was someone… gripping his hand?

Zack Martin's baby blue eyes fluttered open, fuzzy shapes condensing into firm objects around him.

He was lying on…Bailey's bed? What…?

"You're. Awake." A musical voce whispered next to him.

Zack turned his head, focus narrowing on the angel perched on the bed next to him. But...why was the angel's eyes red? Who had made his angel cry?

"Bailey? Wha-"

"Shhh…its O.K, Zack. You fainted." Bailey spoke softly, and suddenly Zack was aware that Bailey had captured his hand and was running her thumb soothingly along his.

"uh…I..I…" Zack's mouth was not connected properly with his brain, because his entire focus was fixed on the sweet ministrations of Bailey's thumb.

"Yes. You, ah, scared me for a minute there, Zack. You were only out for about thirty seconds, I'd say. I grabbed some of London's perfume to wake you up. That stuff would wake the dead!" Bailey smiled weakly, still moving her thumb in circles around his palm.

"I'm sorry I scared you, sweet thang. I… don't know. ..why I fainted…" Zack spoke softly, eyes fixed on Bailey's face, as if trying to engrave it into his memory.

"…sweet thang?" Bailey smiled for real this time, laughing at the silly nickname.

"uh, I mean, very smart independent women." Zack said quickly, mentally hitting himself. Hard.

Bailey laughed again, releasing Zack's hand as she moved away from the bed. She reached over to her bedside table, retrieving a glass of water. With a smile, she gently helped Zack sit up slightly in order for him to take a drink.

"Thanks, Bailey" Zack said after he had a sip. The water helped sooth his throat. And calm his thoughts. Slightly.

"Just don't faint on me again, Zack Martin! As if you can get out of homework that easily from me!" Bailey said playfully.

Zack didn't think he had seen Bailey smile this much since before her and Cody broke up.

…If it took for him to be rendered unconscious to put the smile back on Bailey's face, then he'd get Woody to perform Stairway to Heaven every day.

Well. Maybe not every day.

He didn't have a death wish.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: All the parts in _italics_ are flashbacks. Read it like you're seeing into Zack's mind. If you like this chapter, you might like my story "When a Tornado Meets a Volcano." Happy reading!

* * *

It wasn't like he planned to fall in love with her.

Really, he'd tried nearly everything to stay away from her. Bailey and Cody were perfect for each other. Anybody with half a brain could see that. They belonged together.

Zack knew that…

… but what his brain understood and what his heart felt were two very different things.

And now, staring at the ceiling above his bed, trying and failing to sleep, he could almost laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing was. Almost.

It started innocently enough…

"_Please tell me you're a girl because I'm strangely attracted to you right now," the blonde twin said suggestively. _

_His roommate was a girl. _

_Somehow, someway, the fates had smiled on him. _

_Finally. _

_The hot brunette, Bailey, was offering a winded explanation of her sneaking on the S.S Tipton. He did love sneaky…hmmm, was the rest of her as delicious as her hair…?_

_And now said hot girl was begging him to keep her secret? _

_Begging. _

_On. Her. Knees._

_Well._

…_he could get used to this!_

_

* * *

_

_So, maybe it was better for her to room with London. Mr. Moseby was bound to find out about Bailey sooner or later. _

_He just wished it could have been much, much, much later. _

_Why did they have to fall into the hot tub? _

_Stupid hot tub._

_It was going so well too…at least she got to stay on board._

_He wouldn't have liked it if she left. _

…_Wait, why did he care? He'd only just met her._

_He blamed the hair. It was just so shinny and long and….was Cody looking at her hair too?_

_Sorry, Codes. _

_Not in your league. _

_Not this time._

_

* * *

_

_Parrot Island- a paradise of lush green trees and white sand beaches, the prefect romantic getaway._

_Wrong._

_Thanks to Mr. Tipton, it was a barren wasteland of forgotten tourist traps. _

_(And strange wandering pigs.)_

_Not exactly the best place to woo Bailey. But he could make it work._

_If only __Cody Stopped Hitting On Bailey__. _

_It was pathetic, really._

_Cody had a girlfriend (…not that it seemed to be stopping him….)_

_He wasn't sure why it…_

… _bothered… _

_him so much that Cody liked Bailey._

_It just did._

_

* * *

_

_A spitting contest. _

_Well… it, ah, seemed like a better idea at the time._

_Because, come on, he wasn't just the kind of guy to deal with "baggage." _

_He was more of a carefree, spontaneous, lets-just-see-how it-goes, kind of guy. _

_Not a baggage handler._

…_right…?_

_Yeah…yeah, Cody was much better for her. _

_They could be one of those disgustingly cute geeky couples together. _

_They could do homework together. Eat together. Dress in matching outfits._

…_It was frightening just to think about._

_He'd dogged a bullet with that one._

_There were plenty of other fish in the sea._

_Non-plowing, non- hay-heaving fish...with even more shiny hair._

_Yes._

_He. Had. Done. The. Right. Thing._

_(…maybe…) _

_

* * *

__A six month plan? _

…_really, Cody, really? _

_Half. A. Freaking. Year._

…_Pickett may be a geek, but she was still a hot geek._

_Any random guy could snatch her up in that time. _

_This was bad. _

_This was seriously very not good._

… _because __Cody was the only one__ allowed to date Bailey. _

_No one else._

_(…Jesus, six months. It was like they weren't even related to each other.)_

_Maybe Mom dropped Cody on the head as a child._

_It would explain a lot._

_(Six Months?)_

_

* * *

_

_He had not seen this one coming._

_Really, he hadn't._

_Hannah. Montana._

_Yup. It only took an international pop star to get Cody and Bailey together._

_And just as he'd suspected, Cody's six-month-plan resulted in __Bailey__ finally making them official._

…_his brother would always be a bit of a coward when it came to girls._

_But._

_Cody and Bailey are together. Finally._

_And…they're happy._

_That was all that matters, right?_

…_yeah…that was all that mattered…._

_

* * *

_

_He didn't really think he'd been…interfering …_

_with Cody and Bailey's…time together._

_Not really._

_Well…maybe a little._

_maybe a lot…_

_Ok, maybe a whole lot. _

_But he'd never really had to share his twin with anyone before._

_(Yeah… __that __was what it was.)_

_Sure, there had been Barbara, but that was not like how it is with…__Her__…in the picture._

_Cody . Was. Crazy. About. Her._

_Like, borderline- obsessive-stalker- crazy. (In a non-creep way, of course)._

_With Pickett, it seemed…serious. _

_Serious, serious._

_..and he didn't know how he felt about that._

_Strange._

_He guessed he was so happy for them that…_

…_it ached a little. _

_(but that could just be the fish tacos talking)._

_

* * *

_"_Just tell her the three words every woman wants to hear. …_

_I… Was. …Wrong"._

_Very good advice, if he did say so himself._

_Oh, Cody. You have so much to learn._

_After all, that self-proclaimed egghead thought that there was something between…_

…_Him and Bailey?_

_Please._

_(clearly, all that hot air really did go to Cody's head!)_

_He wasn't without all morals, for cryin' out loud!_

_He would __never __do that to Cody. Never ever._

_(Sure she was….pretty…. and smart and funny and her eyestwinkledwhenshesmiled… )_

_But._

_Come. On._

…_him and Bailey!_

_Yeah._

_Like that would ever happen…_

_

* * *

_

_Just for the record, she started it._

_No, no- it's true._

_Like, where did she get off? Who did she think was?_

_She. Threw. Coffee. At. Him._

_In the face!_

_The face! That was the money-maker!_

_And wearing mascara is very normal for anchormen when you were on camera._

_It was stage make-up! _

_Stage. Make-up._

_So, maybe he had gone a slightly overboard with all the comments._

…_she didn't actually look like a mailman…or need to pander to the male audience…_

_She actually looked nice. Like a professional._

…_.a cute professional…_

_Wait, what?_

_Pickett wasn't cute! _

_Well._

…_she was kind of hot._

_No other girl ever fought with him like that._

_Only Bailey._

…_God, it figured. _

_The one girl who made him angry, laugh, smile…_

_The only girl who made__ him want __to be better__._

…_was the one girl he could never have._

_

* * *

_

Zack rolled over in bed, frustrated. It didn't look like sleep was going to happen anytime soon. Not with all these memories. Sighing, he got up and reached for his shoes and jacket lying haphazardly on the floor.

It looked like yet another sleepless night out on the Skydeck . Just him and the stars.

And his memories.

Walking slowly, he turned over in his mind the events since Bailey and Cody's break up. Their completely stupid, idiotic, ridiculous break-up. Come on, who breaks-up in Paris?

Both of them were just too damn stubborn, they both always had to be right. All the time.

But what was right about this?

Cody and Bailey needed each other. Like two halves of a puzzle. And Zack…well. He was the glue that had to stick Cody and Bailey back together.

Zack loved Cody too much to break his heart by going after Bailey.

And Bailey….was better off with Cody.

So, he was going to get them on a date if it was the last thing that he did. A plan was already starting to form in Zack's mind. There was that dance that was coming up for Seven Seas High…

He would get them together. He had to… it was the only thing that would make up for falling for the love of his twin's life.

Even though…

…It wasn't like he planned to fall in love with her.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: Written to the "A Heart Rash in the Shape of The Show Me State" by Los Campesinos! Thanks to all readers and reviewers. Sorry for slow updates.

* * *

_He had it all planned out…_

…_there would be no plan._

"What do you mean, you're not helping?" Cody asked, confused. His blue-green eyes widened, staring with dismay at his twin.

Zack sighed, rubbing his neck in a nervous gesture. He knew this would be…tricky. He was currently in front of Cody's towel folding station on the Sky Deck…he had hoped a, um, more public setting would make thing easier.

He thought wrong.

"Look Cody. This…deal…isn't right. Bailey is my friend and as her friend I owe her a…certain amount of respect. And so do you. If you love her-_you_ should be the one fighting for her. Not me. I shouldn't have to convince her to date you. What happened to the Six-Month Plan Cody? What happened to not playing games? Cody…this isn't you. If you want to get her back-_tell her_. I'm still helping you, bro. If you need anyone to help plan...a...date or something for her, I'm your man..but… You. Have. To. Do. This." Zack took a breath…_wow, never thought I see the day I'd give a Cody a speech about respecting women…_

"What…what…how…" Cody looked dumfounded, looking around, as if checking for someone to jump out and yell "Surprise!"

"I'm for serious, bro. Ask her to the dance… some grand romantic way with roses and chocolate. Serenade her. Hell, do anything- just mean it" Zack said, lowering his voice, as the sunbathers around them were starting to give them looks.

"You…Zackary Martin…want me...to ...take responsibility? No…games? No sneaky plans?" Cody spoke slowly, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Yup," Zack said confidently, rocking back in forth on his heels…_wait for it...wait for it…_

"Who are you and **what ****have you done with my brother**?" Cody hissed out dramatically, pointing his finger in accusation towards Zack.

_And here come the theatrics. Right. On. Time. _Zack thought, mentally shaking his head. _O, Cody- always so predictable…_

"Now, now Cody. Calm down. People are staring- you're going to put them off their skin-cancer seeking sunbathing," Zack said smoothly.

He took Cody's elbow, walking them towards a more private spot on the edge of the deck, near the railing.

Sighing, Zack looked out on the expanse of water surrounding them… lazily watching the sun skip rays over the shifting sea, as the slight salty breeze teased and tossed his golden locks playfully.

"I _am_ helping you Cody. I'm helping you help yourself," Zack held up a hand, cutting his brother off before he could argue. "Listen. Why do you want Bailey?" he asked quietly, holding Cody's gaze with an uncharacteristically dark and tired look.

Cody paused before speaking, eyeing this serious and solemn person in front of him…

…A stranger in his brother's skin. _Zack..? What happened to you?_

"I...need her. She intelligent and funny and kind and beautiful…why wouldn't I want her? She's…amazing. And I need her back. I miss her...so, so much…" Cody trailed off, tearing his eyes away from this brother/stranger, focusing on the bright blue ocean instead.

"I...I miss her smile. And that silly giggle of hers. And how she sings when she thinks no one's listening. I miss her stupid stories about Kettlecorn. I just…miss her," Cody finished softly, tightening his hands on the railing, still not looking at his twin.

"Tell. Her. Ask her to the dance," Zack said, his lips turned upwards in a shadow of a smile. "Better than that-_show her_. Make some ridiculous heart- shaped cake with 'I miss you' on it. Write her a song. Anything. Because …she deserves it. If you really want her back…prove it to her. And if she says no...well, then at least you will have your answer...and you can more on with your life."

Cody turned towards his brother, and just really _looked_ at him.

"...when did you grow up Zack?" Cody asked quietly.

Zack smiled, a real one this time.

"Well, we all have to grow up sometime. But don't expect me to stop prankin' people," he said, eyes twinkling slightly.

"The day that you stop pulling pranks is the day I know alien body-snatchers have taken over the Earth," Cody said, completely straight-faced.

"Glad to hear it. Aaand- you do know the three most important words to say to a woman when begging for her back, right?" Zack inquired seriously.

"Oh yes- 'I. Was. Wrong.'" Cody recited, nodding his head. "I remember. Believe me, I remember. Thanks, Zack…for everything." He looked suddenly serious again, the joking tone gone. "I'm sorry that…I was too busy …mopping...over Bailey to notice you grow up. I haven't been the best brother, have I?" he said, slightly ashamed.

"It's all good. If you had notice, you would have been all acting proud and taking pictures for Mom, blubbering like the sister I never wanted. Much better that you didn't realize till' now," Zack said, grinning at his twin.

Zack placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, pushing Cody away. "Sooo- Go get her tiger!" he proclaimed playfully.

Cody smiled, already planning what romantic gesture he could do to ask Bailey to the dance…and to forgive him… _I wonder if I could borrow London's blimp…hmm,_ Cody wondered to himself.

Zack watched his twin leave, his smile fading now. He had done the Right Thing. _But_ _who knew that doing the right thing would hurt so much? Cody, you better not break her heart…or else…_

**I had an entirely** **different outline for this story. But I threw the whole thing away-so from here on out, I write without a plan. But I promise a happy ending. **

**What do you think Bailey's answer to Cody will be? ****Reviewers receive hugs and holiday sugar cyber cookies-with hot chocolate! Happy Holidays!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: Written to "2-1" by Imogen Heap. Thanks to all readers and reviewers.

_Things are not always, things are not always how they seem_

_-Imogen Heap_

She knew she should not have gotten up that day. Really. There had been signs.

First -London smashed her Cock-a-Doodle-Do Clock with a diamond the size of her fist… it had been really scary. London gave this little evil laugh as she decimated poor Mr. Chicken. Of course, London claimed that she had been provoked, that Mr. Chicken had it coming…ever since that girl got back from her emergency hair treatment she's been in this terrible mood.

Second- She couldn't find her favorite socks- the ones with the wheelbarrows and kittens on them. Again, she suspected London's involvement….not that the heiress would ever admit to anything.

And now…now this.

"Cody," she said, opening the door to her room.

"Hi Bailey…can...can we talk?"

* * *

Well. Here he was.

On the Sky Deck. Alone.

Again.

Really, this was starting to be a nightly ritual. Just him and stars… It wasn't that bad, actually.

It was a cloudless warm night. A breeze gently danced across his skin, making the hairs on his arms stand up. The bright glimmers of the stars blinked in and out, there distance from him seeming small…like he could grasp one if he jumped…diamonds just for the taking. A full moon glowed bright, valiantly fighting off the dark.

But somehow… the moon… seemed lonely tonight. Even surrounded by all those stars.

He didn't know why.

"Hey," a voice behind him said quietly.

…He knew that voice, cursed it, dreamed of it… loved it.

"I didn't think I'd live to see the day you sneaked out after curfew Miss Pickett", he said lightly, not bothering to turn around, still gazing upwards toward the sky.

"Yeah, well. Never say never," she said in the same light tone he had used.

"So. To what do we owe the pleasure of your appearance tonight? Having trouble sleeping? I can conjure up some hot chocolate for us from the kitche-" he was cut off.

"Zack. Look at me, please," Bailey ordered softly.

He turned.

"What? Is there…anything wrong?" he questioned, finally looking at her in the eye.

"No, ah ,yes..I…maybe," Bailey stuttered out, eyebrows furrowed and eyes filled with some emotion Zack could not place.

He immediately tensed. He _knew_ Bailey- had memorized all of her expressions, suspected he knew her better than she knew herself. But he did not know this look haunting her eyes. And it scared him.

"..Bailey? " he questioned softly, moving towards her slightly, worry evident in his voice.

"Codytalkedtometonight," Bailey burst out, her words melding together in a rush. She let out a sigh, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Oh?" Zack said neutrally, raising his eyebrows in careful surprise.

"Yes. He… asked me a question," she paused again, breaking eye contact with him and glancing down at the floor. She appeared to be… mentally preparing for something?... Zack recognized this expression, and felt tension in his body leave as he identified the emotion. Good. He still _knew_ her.

"I was hoping you could help me answer the question," she whispered, looking up and locking her eyes with his.

She took a step towards him, slowly and deliberately

"uh, sure..I'd be happy to…help" Zack said, growing nervous.

… There was that look in her eyes again. The one that _he didn't know_. And a strange tension hummed in the air around them, making his heart beat a little faster, and the rush of adrenaline pump through his veins… For some reason a mental image of a female lioness stalking her prey flashed in his head and he had to suppress the urge to move away from her.

She took another step.

_What is she doing? Did Cody not apologize the right way and she seeks revenge on all males? What…_

She took another step.

_Why..why …was he scared?_

And then she was inches from him. He could feel her hot breath against his skin, smell the strawberry shampoo she used and she still had that _look_ in her eyes. He could feel himself stiffening, and a slight tremble ripped through his body.

He couldn't move. He felt trapped… trapped by her and her glowing eyes and strawberry sent and shinny hair and…

..She hugged him. Snaking her arms around his back, she molded herself to him, pressing her face into his chest. Sighing slightly, she moved her face against the fabric of his shirt, like a cat.

... and did she just _smell him?_

He still hadn't moved, his arms lying like weights at his sides. Against his commands, his arms slowly moved on their own, lightly wrapping around her. He felt strangely lightheaded, watching as if from a third perspective as his hands started drawing patterns on her back.

She made a small noise (was she_ purring_?) and somehow seemed to melt even more into him.

And still moving treacherously against his will, his fingers caught a strand of her hair, twisting and sliding it playfully against his skin…_so_ _soft… like silk, always thought it thought it would be like silk…_

"…Zack…" the angel murmured into his chest. He looked down at her, dimly realizing that her lips were lifted upwards in a soft smile.

She looked up at him. And what he saw reflected in her brown eyes shocked him, filled his veins with ice and a cold dead broke over him.

_Love._

Jumping back from her, he almost ran backwards behind what he vaguely realized was the towel station counter.

"..Bailey?" he gasped, eyes frozen in shock and a terrible, terrible cold seemed to grip his heart.

"Zack! I..I…" Bailey looked small suddenly, hugging her arms around herself in a defensive gesture.

Zack shook his head, trying to fight down the urge to throw up.

_No. Nononono._ That was not love in her eyes… not in the eyes of his brother's women. This wasn't happening. This was a nightmare and he was going to wake up…

He slapped himself across the cheek, tying to wake himself.

"_Zack_. You're not dreaming," the brunette said sternly. She looked annoyed. Taking a breath in to steady herself, she strode over to the towel counter.

Zack tensed.

"Relax Zack. I'm not going to jump you. I just needed an answer to the question Cody asked me…which I got…" Bailey said softly.

" And what question was that?" Zack yelled, confused and shocked.

"Cody…Cody asked me if I… liked…you," she said, biting her lips nervously.

"He asked WHAT?" the blonde said, eyes wide in disbelief.

"And… I guess I have my answer…" Bailey paused, her gaze trailing over him until her bright brown eyes caught his.

"My answer is yes...I. Like. You. Zack. Martin. " she said softly, her words echoing through the night air.

**Du-Du-Duuuu! Didn't see this one coming, huh? What do you think happened in that conversation between Cody and Bailey? Reviewers receive hugs and cyber snowflake sugar cookies.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: Written to "Honest Truth" by Typhoon. Love to all my readers and reviewers.

* * *

"…_What…,"_ Zack breathed, staring at the girl in front of him with a mixture of shock, horror...and hope?

"You heard me- I. Like. You. Zackary. Martin." Bailey spoke each word slowly, her eyes still holding Zack captive.

"I…I don't...understand… I… what?" Zack, for the first time in living memory, was at a loss for words.

Bailey sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Turning around, she sat down on a lounge chair, motioning for him to sit in the chair next to her. Smiling sadly, the brunette began to talk in quiet but commanding tone, "Look Zack. I think we should talk."

* * *

"_Hi Bailey...can...can we talk?" Cody Martin implored outside her door._

"_Uh, sure Cody. It's only half an hour until curfew, though," she told him, moving aside for him to enter her room. She sat down on her bed, eyeing Cody worriedly._

"_What's up Cody? You look...tired…" Actually, if she was honest, Cody looked…old. Like he had aged ten years or something…not that she was going to tell him that._

_Cody stood in the center of the room, rubbing his hands together in a nervous gesture. He opened his mouth, closed it, and sighed heavily._

_An awkward silence filled the room._

"_Sooo," she said lightly, trying to put_ a _stop to the echoing silence (What's going on? Does he need something…?)_

_Cody stopped playing with his hands and finally looked up at her, his green-blue eyes holding hers hostage. _

_His gaze burned into her. Trapped in the iris of his eye, a flame danced dangerously… and dark depth she had never seen in him came to the surface._

"_C-Cody?" the words fell from her lips, half in shock, half in fear. Steeling herself, she fought a wild impulse to run away._

_... She didn't know this _look_ in his eyes. _

_She didn't know __him__ right now. _

" _Bailey… I should have done this a long time ago…but I'm doing it now. I hope you can forgive me," the blonde stranger in disguise as Cody Martin said to her quietly._

_She just stared at him, caught between wanting to flee… to wanting to hear more from this stranger she used to know._

_He smiled at her slightly… and the darkness melted from his eyes, the shadows haunting his face disappeared… leaving a sad teenage boy in front of her instead._

_And he was Cody again._

" _I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not trusting you in Paris. I'm sorry for not listening to you. I'm sorry for making everything a competition when were together. I'm sorry for how I acted after we broke-up," he paused, taking a deep breath, "I'm... I'm just sorry." _

_She was stunned. _

…_Cody Martin? Admitting he had been wrong? This…this was... unexpected…_

_But not unwelcomed._

"_Cod-" she began, but he held up a hand, stopping her._

"_Bailey...I ...I just want you to be happy. I was planning on bursting in here, begging for you to take me back…but… that's not the right thing to do, is it?" He looked at her, searching her brown eyes for an answer._

"_..No… that...that would not be the right thing Cody." Her eyes held a silent plea for him to understand._

_He nodded, looking as if something had been decided, an uncomfortable truth finally spoken._

_The blonde smiled tightly."Right. Right…then…then… can we be friends again? Because I really need a decent lab partner- Woody set his hair on fire yesterday and-"this time, Bailey cut him off._

"_Cody. I would love to be your friend. And I would be honored to be your lab partner." She grinned at him, the first real smile she had given him since, well, since before Paris._

_Eyes twinkling, Cody grinned back at her._

_

* * *

_

"So, you and Cody are friends again. That does not explain how you went from being friends to… to talking about me," Zack said, slightly confused. _Or how Cody went from being determined to win Bailey back to wanting to be friends_, he thought darkly. _Something must have happened…_

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there," Bailey said patiently.

* * *

"_So. As your friend, I feel obligated to ask… what's going on with you and Zack?" Cody asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. He sat down on the corner of her bed, looking more relaxed than she'd seen him in a very long time._

"_What? Zack? Nothing's going on. We're friends. I'm ... I'm his tutor." She said, confused. _

"_Mmm-hmm."Only Cody could make mono-syllables sound sarcastic._

"_What! We are! I'm just his tutor! Why are you asking this?" she shook her head, voice heavy with bewilderment._

_Cody leaned back on her bed, lips turned into a smirk. Moonlight filtered through the open porthole, weaving a golden glow across his hair, the streams of soft light casting a holy flush to his features._

_And for a second, she saw that stranger wearing his face again._

_A man._

_No, not a boy anymore… when had Cody grown-up? How has she missed this?_

"_I think the lady doth protest too much," he said simply, raising his eyebrows… that darn twinkle in his eyes gleaming mockingly at her._

"_Cody!" she exploded, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him, anything to wipe that knowing smirk off his face._

"_Well. It's just you guys have really been getting along lately. You never used to," a muffled voice said from beneath her pillow. Cody peeked his head out from under the pillow, eyeing her carefully._

"_Yeah. We've become friends. He's not actually stupid, you know? I'm... I'm starting to think it's a bit of an act…like he wants people to think he's dumb or something." She paused, looking away._

_Her eyes grew distant, memories lurking under their brown depths. She smiled unconsciously._

"_He…he has a lot more going on in his head than he lets people believe," she paused, her eyes still very far away, looking at something only she could see, " He has layers…" _

_Cody smiled, a contradiction to the hurt masked in his green gaze._

"_I know. And I think…I think he wouldn't mind if you unwrapped some of those layers for him," Cody said straight-faced._

_She gasped. "Co-dy! Stop it. What's gotten into you? There. Is. Nothing. Going. On. Between. Me. And. Your. Brother." She puffed out, angry now._

_He just looked at her._

"_Prove it. Kiss him or something. A hug. Anything. If you feel nothing, then I guess I'm wrong. But If I'm right… I happen to have on good authority that he doesn't have a date to the dance…and I don't think he will say no." Cody raised his eyebrows in challenge._

"_I'm...I'm not going to kiss your brother! It wouldn't be right!" she sputtered._

"_Why? Because we dated? That was months and months ago. And we are friends, right?" he said, eyes pleading._

"_Yes. We…we are friends," she said faintly, barley believing the conversation she was having. Cody? Telling her to go after his twin? What? Where were the flying pigs?_

"_Good. And as your friend, I'm telling you… what could it hurt? One. Hug. That's all I'm asking. Then I'll never bother you again," he said firmly, the moonlight sill playing across his face._

_Well._

_She guessed a hug couldn't hurt._

"_Fine! One hug. If only to shut you up," she retorted._

_If wasn't like she... liked Zack or anything. Right?_

_Right._

_...and if she could ignore that small voice in the back of her head warning her, she almost believed it._

**What do you think happened to Cody? What caused this change of heart? Reviewers receive hugs and pumpkin juice!**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: Written to "You! Me! Dancing!" by Los Campesinos. Thanks to all readers and reviewers!

* * *

"Just kiss already!"

"The pace they're going? My Grandma's seen more action than these two…"

"..It's just… so… so... romantic!"

_You have got to be kidding me._

Cody Martin pressed his ear to the door of the Offical Security Office of the U.S.S Tipton, disbelief etched onto his face. Those people! This had to be an invasion of privacy! They promised they would stop!

"Open up you guys! I know what you're up to! And I don't care about what you claim- this cannot be legal!" he yelled, pounding on the door.

The hushed tones of yells and shushing soon followed his announcement… Please. He could _hear_ them. He knew they were there.

"Just let me in. Resistance is futile, " he yelled at the door.

Slowly, the doorknob turned, revealing the motley crew of people inside the office.

...well.

He didn't know it "office" was the correct term.

….More like "den" or "movie theater".

Inside the dimly light room, a large screen took up an entire wall, the images of different parts of the boat playing on it. Couches and chairs took up the rest of the room.

And watching (with popcorn!) the escapades of the ship were London, Kirby, Miss Tuttwieller, and Woody.

"So. Spying on Zack and Bailey? Again?" he said, raising an eyebrow. He would like to say he was surprised, but alas, he was not as naive as he used to be.

"...You could have at least invited me, you know," he said, laughter laced in his voice.

A sigh of relief took over the group.

"Pull up a seat, roomie!" Woody said, pointing at the chair next to his with a turkey leg.

Sitting down, he took in the current video feed on the screen. Yup. There was a confused looking Zack and a nervous Bailey on the Sky deck.

"So. How are they doing?" he asked lightly, grabbing some popcorn from Woody.

"Bailey just told Zack that she likes him! But Zack freaked out- and now Bailey is explaining to him what happened when you went to go talk to her," Miss. Tuttweiler whispered, still watching the screen.

Oh.

So… Bailey admitted she likes Zack.

…it didn't hurt like he thought it would.

Huh. Guess London was right… Maybe he...he never really was "in love" with Bailey.

Hard to believe just this afternoon he was planning on getting her back…

* * *

_He was being stupid. There was no way London would let him borrow her blimp to ask Bailey to the dance._

…_he should go to the kitchens… he was sure they would let him use the oven to bake…maybe a soufflé? No, no nothing French…_

_He didn't see the dark shape behind him._

_Gah! ..what?..._

…_pain._

_So, so much pain…_

_His head… what…happened?_

_The world around him twisted, shapes blurring together and sounds grew further and further away, a tunnel surrounded him from everyone else and...and…_

_Everything… went …black._

**Ah!( runs and hides)… I know! But I never do cliff hangers….so I promise a long chapter next time. Any guesses on what happened to Cody? Reviewers receive hugs and cyber snow globes!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Again.

Note: Written to "Some Over Great Heights, You're my Wonderful World" by Eddplant. Thanks to readers and reviewers!

"Somewhere over the rainbow way up high,

There is a land I heard of once in a lullaby…

I see trees of green, I see red roses too, I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself what a wonderful world…"

_Darkness._

_Only a pool of nothing, a thick inky suffocating blackness…_

_Was he Dead? No, no Heaven would not be…_

_...painful?_

_Yes, that was pain…_

_So that means he could feel._

_Which means he was alive... _

_Which means he had a body…._

Cody opened his eyes, blinking slowly….wow, that is bright, that is very very bright…

He promptly closed his eyes again, waiting for his other senses and memories to come back to him…

(There had been a quick blow to the head…loss of consciousness …he mostly likely just had a concussion...wonderful, the last thing he needed was his precious brain cell supply depleted!)

Adjusting, he realized he could hear sounds… birds?

…and singing?

Yup… that was defiantly some out-of-tune signing echoing in the distance.

And with a start, he realized that he was laying flat on his back...

….on grass.

Which was impossible, there was no grass on the U.S.S Tipton.

He dared to crack open an eye again… and was relieved to see blurry shapes sharpen into solid images.

Oh god. That injury must have been more serious than he predicted.

…Because he was defiantly hallucinating.

He was in a garden. A rose garden, in fact.

A bright sun shone high in a cloudless periwinkle blue sky above him. Birds darted to-and-fro in the green bushes besides him, chirping merrily. High green blooming rose hedges grew impossibly tall next to him.

Standing up carefully, he reached over and inhaled deeply from a blushing red rose… and promptly sneezed. Ug, even in his own hallucinations, he had allergies!

Looking down, he couldn't help but notice that the red rose was…

…bleeding.

Well.

_That_ wasn't normal.

Actually, in closer inspection... it…it looked like _paint_ dripping off the petals.

Who would paint roses red?

It would completely kill the flower! The owner should fire the gardener; this was completely unacceptable landscaping methods!

Twiddling the rose between his fingers on one hand, he took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and with his other hand….

… slapped himself across the face.

"Ah! Ow, ow, oww," he yelled (he didn't care what anyone said, he_ yelled_- he did not screech like a girl!)

Opening his eyes, he looked to see if he had woken up from this…dream?

…. Ah, crap… he was still in a rose garden.

And he had company.

"…London?"

The young heiress turned towards him, flanked by servants dressed…rather strangely…

Well, London was dressed strangely too…even for her. Wearing sparkly ruby red shoes, she was clothed in an extravagant scarlet dress that would not have been out of place in a Renaissance fair- complete with a red silk corset and an explosion of petticoats, she was dressed, well, like a queen.

To finish her royal look…she had a blindingly sparkly diamond crown perched on her elaborate up- do…

…she also had a heart-shaped ruby encrusted scepter clutched in her hands…

(Frankly, he was a...a little concerned...)

"Oh- there you are! That is good, we are pleased. We were planning on calling on you, we require you to send an invitation to the ball for that… that Hat-Wearing Madmen brother of yours... ugh." London told him….well…more like _ordered_ him…

…and did London just use the royal "we"? And since when did she use words like "pleased" and "require" properly in a sentence?

O.K, he had heard quite enough.

"London. What are you talking about," he said carefully, twisting the rose nervously in his hands.

She just looked at him like he had two heads…

" Jack? Who is this ' London' that you speak of? We are confused. Did you take the wrong allergy potion again?" London placed her hands on her hips in a familiar gesture.

Oh . Right. He was hallucinating… so it made logical sense if things did not make sense in his dreams… he just had to act natural…

"Ah. Yes- I did take the, um, wrong potion. I'm having trouble remembering things…like where am I exactly? And, er, who are you, if you don't mind me asking…" He tried to sound casual, but he suspected he was failing miserably as London's face was the very picture of horror.

"Oh no. You can't b-be… you …don't … know? A-anything?" London, or whoever she was, suddenly looked much less royal and much more young. And scared.

It bothered him.

…because even if this wasn't _his_ London, he didn't want to be the reason for that scared look reflected widely in her eyes.

Because she should always be smiling…or...or then the world wasn't quite the same. He didn't know why.

"It will be fine! I'm… I'm sure it's just a…a temporary case of, um, slight amnesia. I just need to be…reminded of…of everything," he paused, taking care to look her straight in the eye.

"It's going to be fine."

He spoke with an odd conviction…he didn't know how he knew that everything would "be fine"….he just did.

The raven haired…queen?... held his gaze for a long moment. And then nodded slowly.

" We believe you." She still didn't look away from his face, but snapped her fingers together commandingly. Instantly, like magic, four attendants wearing completely red outfits appeared, running towards her, and then lurching forward in a deep bow.

"Emergency tea- time. Code Red." She ordered the assembled servants. And just as quickly as they came, they disappeared.

The London-who-was-not-London smiled at him. "Would you care for some tea? We have much to discuss."

He almost asked "what tea?" but the red servants had appeared again, this time carrying a table laden down with teacups, teapots, and a dainty collection of tea-snacks.

"Wow. That's service," he said, slightly shocked. What_ was_ this place?

The young women sat down in a chair that had seemingly popped out of thin air and picked up a red tea cup from the table.

"Please have a set. We are afraid that we do not have much time," she spoke urgently, gesturing for him to sit down in the chair opposite her.

Oh.

Well.

That didn't sound too… good.

…how was it that even his own hallucinations, he didn't have a moment of peace?

The world must hate him or something…

**Anybody know where Cody is? Reviewers receive hugs and cyber cucumber sandwiches! **


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: IT LIVES! I am resurrecting my much beloved and patient fic. I apologize for the wait.

" The Looking Glass so shiny and new, how quickly the glamour fades

I started spinning slipping out of time

Was that the wrong pill to take?"

"Rabbit Hearted", Florence and the Machine

"So. Where to start…" London, or whoever this was, peeked at Cody worriedly over her red teacup. The light of the mid-day sun glinted off her elaborate diamond crown, blinding him.

Calm.

He had to remain calm…this was all just a hallucination. Imaginings of his subconscious, brought on by a blow to his head. None of this was _real_- not that bright blue sky, or this rose garden, or…or this stranger in London's body…

London took a sip from her tea, and then placed the cup down firmly on the table. "We can begin at the end, we find that is always the most informative place …"

He glanced at her, taking in this version of his old friend with a critical eye. His subconscious must be a very strange place to imagine a world where London was royalty.

The raven-haired beauty began in speak in a soft, languid voice, "The ball is in exactly twenty- four hours from now. It is of vital importance to the entire kingdom that everyone attends. Our neighbors, the Red and White Queens, are the guests of honor. And your completely unreliable, irresponsible, _infuriating_ brother has not yet delivered the gifts… the gifts that we required to be finished four days ago."

Her hands gripped her teacup very tightly, as if she was envisioning the cup to be his brother's neck…

Wait.

Brother.

…she said he had an "irresponsible, infuriating brother"...well, at least his subconscious had gotten that right. "Ah. That does sound like him…so I'm going to assume that you need me to talk some sense into him?"

The London-who-was-not-London nodded, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "We would like you to, if you pardon the phrase, put the fear of god into him."

"Consider it done. Now… where exactly… are we?"

London just raised an eyebrow at him. "Wonderland, of course."

Oh. Right. Where else? "And that would make you… the Queen?"

London drew herself up proudly. "Her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Hearts of the Great and Lost Land of Wonderland."

He gulped. "Long live the Queen?"

For the first time, the Queen smiled- a full, sparkling grin, her face alight with a rosy glow. "We certainly hope so, Jack."

( O.K- so out of all the places his subconscious drums up- it's Wonderland? He didn't even like the book, and the movie had given him nightmares when he was little and….wait. Did she just call him "Jack"?)

He raised his eyebrows with a questioning, "Jack?"

The Queen's smile froze, her features tightening into a carefully controlled blank face…a politian's face.

Expect for her eyes.

They were sad eyes.

"Yes. Jack. That is….that is your name." Her voice was tight. " Jack of Hearts. The Caption of the Guard."

She looked away from him, her voice barely a whisper,

"…my fiancé."

What?

He could have…he could have sworn that she had just said he was her…her…he must have misheard her or something.

No.

No, not even in a dream, not even a concussion induced dream was he going to be London's f-…

Nonono.

…and why was it so hot all of a sudden…

… and where did the sound go… they're had been birds…

And…and everythings blurry and shifting and…and

Everything….went…black.

* * *

Cody awoke to a white light.

And a voice singing softly, "_Go into the light…go into the light._"

He blinked.

…and the light dimmed, his eyes adjusting, shapes condensing into a very familiar figure.

He opened his mouth, whispering out, "Shut up Zack….I'm not going into any light. Not today."

His brother blinked at him, his blonde hair falling into his face as he leaned in to feel Cody's forehead. "Man, that must have been some bang to the head. You've been out for hours."

He shook away his twin's hand. "You don't know the half of it. I…I am the _weirdest _dream. I was in Wonderland…and …and London was the Queen of Hearts and I was…"he cut off, not wanting to think about who he had been.

Zack stared at him.

"What?" he asked, giving his older brother a hard look."What's wrong?"

And then he took in what Zack was wearing.

A hat.

An enormous hat.

A bright green hat. A bright green hat with a huge white tag on the side. " _In this style_ _10/6_," the tag proclaimed in black bold lettering.

And then Cody looked down at the rest of his twin's outfit…

…dark green pants. Green shoes. A green waistcoat. A mustard orange coat. A blue bow-tie.

Oh damn.

He spoke slowly, carefully. "You're wearing a bow-tie."

His twins straightened his bow-tie proudly. "Bow-ties are cool. Everyone know that Jack."

Cody closed his eyes again, groaning. _Shit_.

"Well. I don't know if the citizen's of Wonderland will take kindly to being called a "weird dream." The voice echoed from afar and Cody taking in his surroundings for the first time. He was in a bedroom straight out of an Austen novel- gilded ceiling, elegant Victorian couches and chairs…and on the far side of the room stood Bailey.

She was wearing a blue dress… a very familiar blue dress, complete with white petticoats and white apron. Her dirty-blonde hair secured with a headband, there was no mistaking who she was.

" Her Majesty called us as soon as you fainted. I've never seen her that upset…she mentioned something about amnesia. The doctor examined you- said you had a lump on the back of your head, and that it was possible that it would have effected your memory." Bailey smiled at him as she said this, striding forward towards him.

She stopped in front of him, giving him an encouraging look."Don't worry. Your memories will return soon. Everything will be normal again soon."

Somehow, he seriously doubted that.

"Alice is being kind. You are totally screwed bro. The ball is tonight- and you have to be her royal pain's escort." The Mad Hatter, formally known as Zack, smiled at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Memories or no memories- you have a ball to go to Cinderella."

**My inner fangirl is squealing over Zack as the Mad Hatter. Just sayin. Reviewers receive hugs and tea. **


End file.
